GLASS OBELISK, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

 


Glass Obelisk or Krystal in the center of the fountain and a tram in the Sergels Torg or Square, Stockholm, Sweden

The Glass Obelisk, a tower with 4 sloping sides and a pointed top, named 'Crystal', Vertical Accent in Glass and Steel, is a prominent 37.5-meter tall sculpture in the center of Sergels Torg, Stockholm, Sweden. Designed by sculptor Edvin Öhrström, it was installed in 1974 as part of a fountain. The obelisk is made of a steel frame covered with 60,000 glass prisms to sparkle with colorful light. During the day, it appears grey, leading to a nickname 'the stick', 'the glass obelisk'. Öhrström won the 1960s competition to design this. It was modernized in the 1950s and completed in 1967. His vision was for a vibrant, illuminated, crystal-like structure. But technical limitations delayed proper internal lighting until 1993. In 2015, the prisms were cleaned, steel was treated for rust, and the lighting was upgraded to LED technology, allowing the obelisk to glow in various colors at night. It was reopened on 19.10.2017, with new lighting designed by Michael Hallbert that shifts colors seasonally.

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